President Donald J. Trump isn’t playing around anymore. According to Just the News, starting next month, sanctuary cities and states that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could see their federal funding dry up. And it makes sense. Why are taxpayers footing the bill for states in open rebellion against the federal government?
The message is simple: enforce immigration law, or don’t expect taxpayers to subsidize your defiance. Cities and states that block ICE from doing its job have helped fuel chaos at the border and in communities nationwide – and made things far more dangerous for law enforcement and anti-ICE protesters alike.
Trump’s move flips the script. He’s rewarding compliance, not obstruction.
.@POTUS [1]: “Starting February 1st, we’re not making any payments to Sanctuary Cities or states having Sanctuary Cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American Citizens, and it breeds fraud and crime.” pic.twitter.com/ixh5XEtyBt [2]
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 13, 2026 [3]
Cue the predictable outrage from sanctuary politicians who insist harboring illegal immigrants is “compassion,” even as crime victims, overwhelmed schools, and strained budgets tell a different story. Lawsuits are coming, of course. They always are.
But here’s the bottom line: borders matter, laws matter, and ICE exists for a reason. Trump is betting that when faced with losing real money, sanctuary cities might suddenly rediscover the concept of cooperation.
At the end of the day, this isn’t complicated. If sanctuary cities and states want to cosplay as rogue states, they can do it on their own dime. Federal money isn’t a participation trophy for lawlessness. Trump’s message is blunt, unapologetic, and long overdue: you don’t get paid to sabotage federal law.